Susanne Wurst

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Mark Nesbitt

Royal Botanic Gardens Kew

Cristhian Cerna

David Seamon

Kansas State University

Edgloris Marys

Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Cientificas

Shailesh K Tiwari

Indian Council of Agricultural Research

Ashutosh Rai

Banda University of Agriculture and Technology

niha ansari

Gujarat Technological University

Krystyna Oracz

Warsaw University of Life Sciences

Simon X . Yang

University of Guelph

F. Guinel

Wilfrid Laurier University

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Papers by Susanne Wurst

Effects of earthworms and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi depend on the successional stage of a grassland plant community

Plant Ecology

ABSTRACT

Microorganisms and nematodes increase levels of secondary metabolties in roots and root exudates of Plantago lanceolata

... lanceolata Susanne Wurst & Roel Wagenaar & Arjen Biere & Wim H. van der Putten ..... more

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Do plant- and soil-mediated legacy effects impact future biotic interactions?

by Susanne Wurst and Takayuki Ohgushi

Functional Ecology

ABSTRACT

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Horizontal migration of click beetle (Agriotes spp.) larvae depends on food availability

by Susanne Wurst and Sonja Grunz

Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata

ABSTRACT

Effects of generalist root feeders (Agriotes spp. larvae, Coleoptera: Elateridae) on grassland plant communities

ABSTRACT

Soil biota of different size classes change the impact of soil compaction on a plant community

Applied Vegetation Science

ABSTRACT

Community- Weighted Mean Plant Traits Predict Small Scale Distribution of Insect Root Herbivore Abundance

PLOS ONE, 2015

Small scale distribution of insect root herbivores may promote plant species diversity by creatin... more Small scale distribution of insect root herbivores may promote plant species diversity by creating patches of different herbivore pressure. However, determinants of small scale distribution of insect root herbivores, and impact of land use intensity on their small scale distribution are largely unknown. We sampled insect root herbivores and measured vegetation parameters and soil water content along transects in grasslands of different management intensity in three regions in Germany. We calculated community-weighted mean plant traits to test whether the functional plant community composition determines the small scale distribution of insect root herbivores. To analyze spatial patterns in plant species and trait composition and insect root herbivore abundance we computed Mantel correlograms. Insect root herbivores mainly comprised click beetle (Coleoptera, Elateridae) larvae (43%) in the investigated grasslands. Total insect root herbivore numbers were positively related to community-weighted mean traits indicating high plant growth rates and biomass (specific leaf area, reproductive- and vegetative plant height), and negatively related to plant traits indicating poor tissue quality (leaf C/N ratio). Generalist Elaterid larvae, when analyzed independently, were also positively related to high plant growth rates and furthermore to root dry mass, but were not related to tissue quality. Insect root herbivore numbers were not related to plant cover, plant species richness and soil water content. Plant species composition and to a lesser extent plant trait composition displayed spatial autocorrelation, which was not influenced by land use intensity. Insect root herbivore abundance was not spatially autocorrelated. We conclude that in semi-natural grasslands with a high share of generalist insect root herbivores, insect root herbivores affiliate with large, fast growing plants, presumably because of availability of high quantities of food. Affiliation of insect root herbivores with large, fast growing plants may counteract dominance of those species, thus promoting plant diversity.

Modelling the vertical and horizontal migration of wireworms: how does timing and intensity of root herbivore pressure impact grassland communities? (Poster)

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Earthworms counterbalance the negative effect of microorganisms on plant diversity and enhance to tolerance of grasses to nematodes

Oikos, 2008

Plant community composition is affected by a wide array of soil organisms with diverse feeding mo... more Plant community composition is affected by a wide array of soil organisms with diverse feeding modes and functions. Former studies dealt with the high diversity and complexity of soil communities by focusing on particular functional groups in isolation, by grouping soil organisms into body size classes or by using whole communities from different origins. Our approach was to investigate both

Earthworms counterbalance the negative effects of microorganisms on plant diversity and enhance the tolerance of grasses to nematodes

Oikos, 2008

Priming and memory of stress responses in organisms lacking a nervous system

by Susanne Wurst, Margarete Baier, Bernd Mueller-Roeber, Jens Rolff, and Anke Steppuhn

Biological Reviews, 2015

Experience and memory of environmental stimuli that indicate future stress can prepare (prime) or... more Experience and memory of environmental stimuli that indicate future stress can prepare (prime) organismic stress responses even in species lacking a nervous system. The process through which such organisms prepare their phenotype for an improved response to future stress has been termed 'priming'. However, other terms are also used for this phenomenon, especially when considering priming in different types of organisms and when referring to different stressors. Here we propose a conceptual framework for priming of stress responses in bacteria, fungi and plants which allows comparison of priming with other terms, e.g. adaptation, acclimation, induction, acquired resistance and cross protection. We address spatial and temporal aspects of priming and highlight current knowledge about the mechanisms necessary for information storage which range from epigenetic marks to the accumulation of (dormant) signalling molecules. Furthermore, we outline possible patterns of primed stress responses. Finally, we link the ability of organisms to become primed for stress responses (their 'primability') with evolutionary ecology aspects and discuss which properties of an organism and its environment may favour the evolution of priming of stress responses.

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Tree diversity modifies distance-dependent effects on seedling emergence but not plant-soil feedbacks of temperate trees

by Susanne Wurst and Susann Nitzsche

Ecology, 2014

ABSTRACT

Using a Multi-Trait Approach to Manipulate Plant Functional Diversity in a Biodiversity-Ecosystem Function Experiment

by Susanne Wurst and Mahmoud Hawa

PLoS ONE, 2014

A frequent pattern emerging from biodiversity-ecosystem function studies is that functional group... more A frequent pattern emerging from biodiversity-ecosystem function studies is that functional group richness enhances ecosystem functions such as primary productivity. However, the manipulation of functional group richness goes along with major disadvantages like the transformation of functional trait data into categories or the exclusion of functional differences between organisms in the same group. In a mesocosm study we manipulated plant functional diversity based on the multi-trait Functional Diversity (FD)-approach of Petchey and Gaston by using database data of seven functional traits and information on the origin of the species in terms of being native or exotic. Along a gradient ranging from low to high FD we planted 40 randomly selected eight-species mixtures under controlled conditions. We found a significant positive linear correlation of FD with aboveground productivity and a negative correlation with invasibility of the plant communities. Based on community-weighted mean calculations for each functional trait, we figured out that the traits N-fixation and species origin, i.e. being native or exotic, played the most important role for community productivity. Our results suggest that the identification of the impact of functional trait diversity and the relative contributions of relevant traits is essential for a mechanistic understanding of the role of biodiversity for ecosystem functions such as aboveground biomass production and resistance against invasion.

Choosing and using diversity indices: insights for ecological applications from the German Biodiversity Exploratories

Ecology and Evolution, 2014

Biodiversity, a multidimensional property of natural systems, is difficult to quantify partly bec... more Biodiversity, a multidimensional property of natural systems, is difficult to quantify partly because of the multitude of indices proposed for this purpose. Indices aim to describe general properties of communities that allow us to compare different regions, taxa, and trophic levels. Therefore, they are of fundamental importance for environmental monitoring and conservation, although there is no consensus about which indices are more appropriate and informative. We tested several common diversity indices in a range of simple to complex statistical analyses in order to determine whether some were better suited for certain analyses than others. We used data collected around the focal plant Plantago lanceolata on 60 temperate grassland plots embedded in an agricultural landscape to explore relationships between the common diversity indices of species richness (S), Shannon's diversity (H'), Simpson's diversity (D 1 ), Simpson's dominance (D 2 ), Simpson's evenness (E), and Berger-Parker dominance (BP). We calculated each of these indices for herbaceous plants, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, aboveground arthropods, belowground insect larvae, and P. lanceolata molecular and chemical diversity. Including these trait-based measures of diversity allowed us to test whether or not they behaved similarly to the better studied species diversity. We used path analysis to determine whether compound indices detected more relationships between diversities of different organisms and traits than more basic indices. In the path models, more paths were significant when using H', even though all models except that with E were equally reliable. This demonstrates that while common diversity indices may appear interchangeable in simple analyses, when considering complex interactions, the choice of index can profoundly alter the interpretation of results. Data mining in order to identify the index producing the most significant results should be avoided, but simultaneously considering analyses using multiple indices can provide greater insight into the interactions in a system.

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The Root Herbivore History of the Soil Affects the Productivity of a Grassland Plant Community and Determines Plant Response to New Root Herbivore Attack

PLoS ONE, 2013

Insect root herbivores can alter plant community structure by affecting the competitive ability o... more Insect root herbivores can alter plant community structure by affecting the competitive ability of single plants. However, their effects can be modified by the soil environment. Root herbivory itself may induce changes in the soil biota community, and it has recently been shown that these changes can affect plant growth in a subsequent season or plant generation. However, so far it is not known whether these root herbivore history effects (i) are detectable at the plant community level and/or (ii) also determine plant species and plant community responses to new root herbivore attack. The present greenhouse study determined root herbivore history effects of click beetle larvae (Elateridae, Coleoptera, genus Agriotes) in a model grassland plant community consisting of six common species (Achillea millefolium, Plantago lanceolata, Taraxacum officinale, Holcus lanatus, Poa pratensis, Trifolium repens). Root herbivore history effects were generated in a first phase of the experiment by growing the plant community in soil with or without Agriotes larvae, and investigated in a second phase by growing it again in the soils that were either Agriotes trained or not. The root herbivore history of the soil affected plant community productivity (but not composition), with communities growing in root herbivore trained soil producing more biomass than those growing in untrained soil. Additionally, it influenced the response of certain plant species to new root herbivore attack. Effects may partly be explained by herbivore-induced shifts in the community of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. The root herbivore history of the soil proved to be a stronger driver of plant growth on the community level than an actual root herbivore attack which did not affect plant community parameters. History effects have to be taken into account when predicting the impact of root herbivores on grasslands. Citation: Sonnemann I, Hempel S, Beutel M, Hanauer N, Reidinger S, et al. (2013) The Root Herbivore History of the Soil Affects the Productivity of a Grassland Plant Community and Determines Plant Response to New Root Herbivore Attack. PLoS ONE 8(2): e56524.

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Testing for allelopathic effects in plant competition: does activated carbon disrupt plant symbioses?

Plant Ecology, 2010

ABSTRACT

Effects of earthworms and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi depend on the successional stage of a grassland plant community

Plant Ecology, 2012

ABSTRACT

The impact of soil organism composition and activated carbon on grass-legume competition

Plant and Soil, 2009

... 2000). We hypothesized that the competitive ability of Holcus decreases with increasing soil ... more

Microorganisms and nematodes increase levels of secondary metabolites in roots and root exudates of Plantago lanceolata

Plant and Soil, 2010

... lanceolata Susanne Wurst & Roel Wagenaar & Arjen Biere & Wim H. van der Putten ..... more

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Earthworms can modify effects of hydrochar on growth of Plantago lanceolata and performance of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi

Pedobiologia, 2013

ABSTRACT Hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) is a method to produce carbonized material at relativel... more ABSTRACT Hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) is a method to produce carbonized material at relatively low temperatures (180–250 °C) under pressure and aqueous conditions. The product is called hydrochar and can be used as a soil amendment. However, applied in high dosages it may have detrimental effects on plants or soil biota. The potential impact of hydrochar amendment on beneficial soil organisms such as arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and earthworms and their interactions are not well understood. The goal of the present study was to determine effects of hydrochar on plant growth and soil biota and to evaluate interactions of earthworms and hydrochar on plant and AMF performance and to identify underlying mechanisms. In a greenhouse experiment, we investigated the effect of hydrochar at different addition rates (control, 1% and 10%, v/v) with or without the earthworm Aporrectodea caliginosa on the growth of Plantago lanceolata L. and the performance of its AMF. We observed a positive interaction between earthworms and 10% hydrochar on shoot and root biomass: added as a single treatment hydrochar had a negative effect on plant growth at this dosage, but plant biomass increased significantly when hydrochar was added together with earthworms. Root colonization by AMF increased significantly with increasing concentration of hydrochar, but was not affected by earthworms. Contrastingly, extraradical hyphal length of AMF was reduced by earthworms, but not affected by hydrochar. Thus, hydrochar and earthworms affected the performance of AMF, albeit of different AMF structures and in different directions. Our results indicate that earthworms may play an important role in alleviating the negative impacts of high dosages of hydrochar on plant growth; such interactions should move into focus of future research on potential effects of HTC materials.

Effects of earthworms and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi depend on the successional stage of a grassland plant community

Plant Ecology

ABSTRACT

Microorganisms and nematodes increase levels of secondary metabolties in roots and root exudates of Plantago lanceolata

... lanceolata Susanne Wurst & Roel Wagenaar & Arjen Biere & Wim H. van der Putten ..... more

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Do plant- and soil-mediated legacy effects impact future biotic interactions?

by Susanne Wurst and Takayuki Ohgushi

Functional Ecology

ABSTRACT

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Horizontal migration of click beetle (Agriotes spp.) larvae depends on food availability